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Warning: This publish accommodates spoilers for Episode 5 of House of the Dragon Season 2.
Rhaenyra is in the hunt for dragon riders. In the fifth episode of Season 2 of House of the Dragon, the usurped queen complains to her son Jacaerys (Harry Collett) that she wants extra dragons to tackle Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and his gigantic fireplace breather, Vhagar. Aemond is ruling in his brother King Aegon’s stead whereas Aegon recovers from burn wounds which will or might not have been the results of tried fratricide on the a part of Aemond.
Aemond is a fearsome (and, apparently, ruthless) warrior who has simply killed Rhaenyra’s shut ally Rhaenys (Eve Best) and her dragon Meleys. He is certain to press his benefit.
“We haven’t any dearth of dragons,” Jace factors out to Rhaenyra (Emma D’arcy). “We have two giant sufficient to face towards Vhagar. They are referred to as Vermithor and Silverwing, they usually sleep simply beneath our ft.”
“Yes, and if solely they’d riders, none may stand towards me,” says Rhaenyra. (Both of these dragons are riderless as a result of their earlier riders, King Jaehaerys I and his sister-wife Queen Alysanne, died.)
Then Jace has an concept. “There are these of our line who by no means dominated,” he says. “Those who married into different noble homes, and their kids born with different names.”
His mom furrows her forehead, skeptical. “Are you suggesting we put a Mallister on a dragon? A Tarly?” she asks.
“It’s higher than demise and defeat,” he says. He proposes that they search the histories for descendants, folks with simply sufficient Targaryen blood to probably mount a dragon with out getting barbecued. The plan is a superb one nevertheless it does beg the query, how a lot Targaryen blood does an individual want with a purpose to develop into a dragon rider? What does it really take to develop into a dragon rider? Can any Targaryen descendent hop on the again of a fire-breathing beast? Let’s examine.
Can solely Targaryens trip dragons?
As Rhaenyra factors out within the episode, lore would declare that solely the purest Targaryens may mount dragons. (Hence why incest is so widespread within the Targaryen household.) “A dragon would solely settle for a dragonlord to trip it,” she says. “Or so say the histories.”
“Valyrian histories written to gild us in glory,” counters Jacaerys.
The concept that solely the purest blood Targaryens may mount a dragon is, most likely, propaganda—although propaganda so historical that Rhaenyra accepts it as truth.
It would definitely behoove the Targaryens to inform the frequent folks that solely they will management dragons, the nuclear weapons of Westeros. Targaryens solid themselves as divine beings, and their capability to manage dragons is crucial to that fable. Rhaenyra has beforehand mentioned on the present, “Everyone says Targaryens are nearer to gods than to males, however they are saying that due to our dragons. Without them, we’re similar to everybody else.”
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If everybody else thinks that they may mount a dragon too, the Targaryens could be prone to a coup. So it is definitely doable that an individual wants little or no Targaryen blood—or no Targaryen blood in any respect—to efficiently trip a dragon. We simply will not know till somebody tries.
Will dragons settle for any Targaryen as their rider?
We do know that having Targaryen blood does not assure dragon acceptance. Dragons are fairly choosy in relation to who rides them. Trying to strategy one is a harmful factor. When Aemond claims Vhagar in Fire & Blood, Fire & Blood, the faux-history of Westeros upon which A Song of Ice and Fire relies, creator George R.R. Martin writes, “Even for a son of House Targaryen, there are at all times risks in approaching a dragon, significantly an previous, bad-tempered dragon who has just lately misplaced her rider. His father and mom would by no means enable him to go close to Vhagar, Aemond knew, a lot much less attempt to trip her.”
During the dialog within the fifth episode of Season 2, Rhaenyra references the truth that Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell), the daughter of Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), one of many nice dragon riders, has been unable to assert a dragon. In Season 1, we realized that the dragon egg she acquired as a toddler did not hatch although the egg that belonged to her sister Baela (Bethany Antonia) did. When Rhaena’s mom Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell) died, many within the household assumed that Rhaena would inherit Vhagar, Leana’s dragon. But, beneath the darkish of night time, Aemond mounted Vhagar himself and thus claimed the biggest dragon identified to man.
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When the query of who would possibly declare both Vermithor or Silverwing comes up, Jace suggests, “There is Rhaena.”
“Who practically misplaced her life in her final try. I’d not danger it once more,” Rhaenyra shoots again.
We by no means noticed Rhaena attempt to declare Vhagar, or another dragon, on the present. Presumably this incident that Rhaenyra is referring to occurred offscreen. The upshot? Lineage is not any assure in relation to coaching dragons.
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Who are the unclaimed dragons, Vermithor and Silverwing?
Viewers encountered Vermithor within the Season 1 finale. After Daemon listed off the dragons that Team Black has entry too on Dragonstone, Daemon went all the way down to the caverns there and sang to the beast. Daemon was not solely socializing Vermithor, who has been snoozing in these caves for generations, however promising him a rider quickly. Translated from High Valyrian, the ultimate traces of Daemon’s track imply, “We shall fly as we have been destined, fantastically, freely.”
Known as “Bronze Fury,” due to his bronze wings, Vermithor is round 100 years previous. He’s one of many largest dwelling dragons, second solely to Aemond’s dragon Vhagar. King Viserys and Daemon’s grandfather, Jaeherys Targaryen, was Vermithor’s earlier rider. No one has mounted Vermithor since.
Daemon additionally mentions Silverwing in Season 1 whereas doing dragon math with Rhaenyra. Alyssane Targaryen, the sister-wife of King Jaeherys, rode Silverwing. No one has ridden her since.
Those aren’t the one dragons with out riders. There’s additionally Seasmoke, Laenor Velaryon’s previous dragon. In Fire & Blood, Laenor dies (or at the least the maesters writing the histories suppose so). When a dragonrider dies, another person can declare their dragon. But in House of the Dragon, Laenor levels his demise (with the assistance of his spouse Rhaenyra) so he can run away along with his lover.
Whether another person can trip Seasmoke with Laenor nonetheless alive—or whether or not Laenor will return—stays to be seen. But we doubtless will see Seasmoke once more: At the start of Season 2, Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) says of Seasmoke, who she witnesses flying round Dragonstone all day, making noise: “Maybe he is lonely.” Perhaps he simply wants a rider.
In Fire & Blood the maesters point out three different riderless, wild dragons flying round presently: Cannibal, Grey Ghost, and Sheepstealer. These dragons have not been talked about on the present but.
There are additionally the 4 dragon eggs that Rhaena Targaryen is charged with taking, alongside Rhaenyra’s three kids, to security in Pentos. The director of Episode 3, Geeta Vasant Patel, confirmed that three of those eggs will finally move all the way down to Daenerys.
Along the way in which, Rhaena is instructed to cease within the Vale and go to with Jeyne Arryn, who has requested a dragon in alternate for her loyalty. Rhaenyra sends her Tyraxes and Stormcloud, small dragons who’ve bonded with Rhaenyra’s third son Joffrey and fourth son Aegon, respectively.
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How many Targaryens could possibly be lurking within the Seven Kingdoms?
We actually do not know. Jace muses there could possibly be “scores” of part-Targaryens who may at the least try to mount a dragon. Depending on how far again within the household tree the Targaryens go, they may uncover many candidates. And bear in mind, this franchise loves a secret Targaryen. (See: Jon Snow.)
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Will Rhaenyra contemplate the bastards?
During their dialog, Rhaenyra and Jace talk about figuring out Targaryens who descended from marriages into different households—in different phrases, respectable Targaryens even when they bear a distinct final title.
But they don’t tackle the likelihood that there could also be Targaryen bastards with much more Targaryen blood of their veins than ones who’re generations faraway from their dragonriding forebears.
We’ve already met one man who claims to be the bastard brother of King Viserys and Daemon Targaryen: Ulf. He at the moment resides in King’s Landing, however we all know from his dialogue within the pub that he is loyal to the “true queen” Rhaenyra. He would doubtless reply a name to arms from her. Eagle-eyed viewers might have additionally noticed another Smallfolk with blonde hair steadily popping up within the sequence. Those folks could possibly be doable contenders.
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And on condition that Westerosi kings and princes have by no means been probably the most trustworthy bunch, there are sure to be extra bastards on the market who may mount dragons. In the books, these women and men are referred to as dragonseed—folks fathered or mothered by somebody from a dragon-riding Valyrian household, just like the Targaryens or the Velaryons.
Who has the most important dragons? The most dragons?
Why does all this matter? Now that the Targaryens—who’ve dominated as one clan for generations—are divided and on the point of struggle, either side is taking inventory of their firepower. Right now Rhaenyra feels underpowered.
Team Black has extra dragons, eight in complete plus 4 eggs: Syrax (ridden by Rhaenyra), Caraxes (ridden by Daemon), Vermax (ridden by Jacaerys Velaryon), Moondancer (ridden by Baela Targaryen), Tyraxes (bonded to Joffrey Velaryon), Stormcloud (bonded to younger Aegon), Vermithor (riderless), Silverwing (riderless), and Seasmoke (ridden by Laenor however now riderless).
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But the entire Team Black dragons who at the moment have riders are far smaller than Vhagar, Aemond’s behemoth of a dragon. In addition, Team Green additionally has Dreamfyre (ridden by Helaena) and Sunfyre (ridden by Aegon)—although presumably Sunfyre and Aegon are out of fee for awhile after Aegon was burned on the Battle of Rooks’ Rest. If you want a refresher on who rides which dragon and the way large the varied firebreathers are, we have a useful visible information for you right here.
